19 lessons I’ve learned from 19 years of running my business
Tomorrow marks 19 years since I left my job as a staff writer on the News of the World to go freelance. On July 11th, 2006, I was 30, single, living in my old house in Warrington and paying the mortgage on my own. I had no savings, no security – just a MacBook, a […]
How to start a newsletter for your pet business
Or revive one that’s been neglected… If you’ve been thinking about starting a newsletter for your pet business – or you’ve already started one but it’s been a bit neglected – this post is for you. Email is still one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience. Unlike social media, where posts […]
Takeaways from the Pet Industry Federation Business of Pets Conference 2025
In June 2025, the Pet Industry Federation hosted its third Business of Pets conference – a two-day event that brought together founders, retailers, marketers, investors, and innovators from across the pet industry. Held at Cranfield University, the programme was full of insight and inspiration. Across expert-led panels, hands-on workshops, and the Innovation Award pitches, we […]
Defamation law – what every pet business needs to know
How to stay on the right side of the law with your content When emotions are high and conversations are heated, it’s easy to forget that what you post online is legally considered published. That Instagram Story, Facebook post or podcast episode carries the same legal weight as a newspaper headline. In this blog, I’m […]
10 reasons to work with a pet business coach
There are lots of reasons why you might want to work with a pet business coach. If you’ve been thinking about coaching but feel unsure whether it’s the right time or the right investment, you’re not alone. For many pet business owners, coaching can feel like an indulgence. Plus, there are so many things to […]
How to take care of your mental health as a pet professional
A guide for Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 Taking care of your emotional well-being is key as a pet professional, and this is a guide to support you as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2025. If you’ve been struggling to be online recently, you’re not alone. There have been huge political changes globally, conflict, […]
How much does pet business coaching cost?
Are you considering working with a coach but feel unsure about how much you could be spending? I wish I could give you an exact figure, but the answer is ‘it depends.’ I know people who’ve spent £10 on a book that changed their whole business. And I know someone who paid £2,500 for a […]
What is a pet business coach?
Are you thinking of hiring a coach to support you in your pet business? If you’ve ever wondered what a coach is and why you’d want to work with one, you’re not alone. It might sound fancy, or even a bit indulgent. But in the fast-paced, noisy world of running a pet business, having someone […]
Find the right coaching support for each stage of your pet business
If you’ve ever felt like you had to figure everything out on your own in your business – you’re not alone. When I first started out as a freelance journalist, I thought asking for help meant I wasn’t capable. I’d spend hours Googling things, trying to do it all myself, I spent a week while […]
How to manage overwhelm in your pet business
Overwhelm is something we all experience from time to time. It’s that feeling of drowning, like everything is too much, or like a treadmill that keeps going faster and faster and you can’t keep up. Brené Brown describes overwhelm in her book Atlas of the Heart, as: “An extreme level of stress, and emotional and/or […]
